Any more updates on 9mm Pow'RBall?

5402 Views 15 Replies 8 Participants Last post by dave, Jun 4, 2007

wilsoncqb1911

Discussion Starter · May 27, 2007

I'm very excited about this ammo, and I was wondering if anyone had any updates in addition to what Mr. Camp has done? I've heard others speak poorly of it due to its lightweight and "inability to penetrate".

Any real-world tests? Hunting? Anything?

I'm using it a self-defense ammo, so I was hoping to hear more on it.

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Josh Smith

· #2 · May 27, 2007

Hello,

At 100grs I wouldn't trust it in 9mm. As well, some correspondence indicates that it is not too reliable on both expansion and penetration.

However, I do have to make a trip to the gunstore for some other ammo to test when my bank account recovers from summer college tuition, and I would not mind picking up a box of Pow'R'Ball in 9mm to test in wetpack. I can always use it for "critter control;" ie, racoon, and report back. Good shots - frontal shots - on racoon have been hard to come by lately, and I'm not sure how revealing a broadside shot would be.

You might contact Mike Shovel at Cor

wilsoncqb1911

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 28, 2007

I'd welcome any tests that you could come up with!

I'm just interested in it cause I like Corbon's stuff and it seems like a neat idea. It's plenty fast, and 100grn vs. 115grn doesn't seem like a big loss to me. But what do I know?

I was looking at it as another good choice for 9mm defense ammo. But maybe I'm wrong?

Josh Smith

· #4 · May 28, 2007

Sir,

You may take a closer look at the DPX loading. Though I've not used it, others here have, and I believe Mr. Camp has tested it.

It is one of the "hot new rounds" with no jacket to seperate upon impact - it's an all copper round and IIRC both lab tests and street results favor it.

I cannot promise when I'll have time to do these tests; I'll only promise that I'll try to get to them as soon as I possibly can.

Thank you,

Josh <><

wilsoncqb1911

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 28, 2007

Thank you for your help and input.

I completely understand. I wish I had a range or lived somewhere that I could do my own testing, but I just don't. It certainly would be nice!

Thanks again!

G

· #6 · May 28, 2007

I believe Evan Marshall tested Pow'R Ball ammo when it first came out around 2-4 years ago.

Check his website at http://www.stoppingpower.net for info.

dave

· #7 · May 31, 2007

I use 9x19mm +P 100gr. hp Pow'R Ball ammo for some 9mm guns.
I have never had the oportunity to test it myself for penetration and expansion.
I like it because it mimics fmj for reliability issues. The mfr. claims a velocity of 1475fps and 483 ft/lbs. of energy from whatever test barrel is used.

The ammo has changed recently, which makes me a bit suspicious. The old ammo looks exactly like a 9mm ball round except for the white polymer tip on the bullet. It came packed in a 20-rd. red box marked Corbon: www.corbon.com The newer stuff is a much more squat round, with a blunter bullet shape. The overall length of the cartridge is shorter. So much shorter, in fact, that when I got the new stuff I thought maybe I'd got 9x17/ .380 by mistake. Besides being more squat and blunt shaped, the bullet is seated deeper in the case as evidenced by the crimp of the cartridge case. It now comes packed in a red box with a clear acetate window marked Glaser Safety Slug www.safetyslug.com and instead of "patent pending" now reads "Patent #6,792,869." I do not know why the changes were made. I *think* Corbon bought Glaser, and then decided to market DPX and other Corbon brands under Corbon and transfer the other technology bullets to the Glaser line. I have not talked to anybody associated with the company, so I really don't know what the story is. But the ammo has changed in design and appearance. Any information on the rationales for the changes would be interesting. I would also welcome independent tests of the bullet performance.

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G

· #8 · May 31, 2007

well that blows, Powerball was my go to round in my IDPA gamer gun. It's a 9mm 1911 that has beat my best efforts to get it to feed hollowpoints, It runs perfectly on Winchester ball at 1.170 OAL, and the only expanding bullet I tried that was 100% was the powerball.

G

· #9 · Jun 1, 2007

A Pow'R Ball is a Pow'R Ball and a Glaser Safety Slug is a Glaser Safety Slug. I would hammer Corbon and find out what the hell you've got.

well that blows, Powerball was my go to round in my IDPA gamer gun. It's a 9mm 1911 that has beat my best efforts to get it to feed hollowpoints, It runs perfectly on Winchester ball at 1.170 OAL, and the only expanding bullet I tried that was 100% was the powerball.

Are you aware that Wilson, I think, has a newly-designed M1911 9mm magazine that solves the reliability problem of 9mm in the M1911 platform?

teamcorbon

· #10 · Jun 2, 2007

Nobody has to "hammer" us for anything. We always check the boards and will respond to any problems or complaints.

The shape of the 9mm Powrball was changed to asuage a few people who complained that it was too long of a projectile for their Europena made 9mm pistols. It works the same as the original shape, however after many complaints about the new shape, we went back to the original shaped projectile.

As far as questioning the expansion of the 9mm PowRball round. I'd like to see anybody shoot it from any commercially available 9mm pistol and fail to get dramatic expansion. It always expands....always.

As far as penetration with the 9mm PowRball. It does exactly what we designed it to do. Penetrates 11-12" in denim clad 10% ballistic gelatin and expands to .65". It was never intended to penetratre hard barriers. It was designed as a reliable feeding round in finicky feeding pistols. It just so happens to perform really well as a bonus. It is an excellent defensive loading for non LE persons.

I have gotten reports from people using it on everything from racoons to people. It has always worked really well. I have had zero reports of failures with it as long as the person using it places their shots well.

PowRball rounds have a translucent ball in the end. Glaser has either blue or silver.

We purchased the Glaser Co. in 2001.

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lelandray

· #11 · Jun 2, 2007

The only Cor-Bon ammo I've used in a long time was the 125 +P 9mm round, which gives performance very near that I expect from my 2.5" M66 with like weight bullets.

I've never seen a Cor-Bon bullet in any caliber that failed to expand.

wilsoncqb1911

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jun 3, 2007

Wow -- thanks Corbon!

Bob Reed

· #13 · Jun 3, 2007

Hello Mr. Shovel & Thanks for being a member of our site.

Thanks Again & Take Care Sir,

Bob

BarryinIN

· #14 · Jun 3, 2007

Regading PowRBall's penetration:
It seems like I recall from our leader Stephen Camp's 38 Super CorBon tests that PowRBall penetrated pretty well. That came as a pleasant surprise to me, as I expected the higher velocity of the Super to cause it to fragment/come apart/whatever, if it was ever going to. But instead, it penetrated as well, or better than the other bullets.

twoguns

· #15 · Jun 3, 2007

Howdy Mr. Shovel,

+1 with Mr. Reed. Thanks for being a member and sharing your knowledge with us sir.

I think it is always helpful to our site when we can have a member of someone in the industry who can contribute. Please continue to do so as your time permits.

twoguns

dave

· #16 · Jun 4, 2007

Hello Mr. Shovel of "team corbon":

Thanks very much for the clarifications. As you can see your response is appreciated, and the ammunition that the firm produces is very favorably regarded.

Again, thanks.

--dave

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